KOLKATA: Riding on the regional wave of over-the-top (OTT) platforms, a new independent service has entered the Malayali market. Studio Mojo has launched the Malayalam OTT Koode in September, which is now available across android, IOS devices as well as on android TVs. At present, the streaming service is operating on free model to reach more users.

For the record, Studio Mojo was amongst the first to launch an OTT platform in the country with iStream. While the service did not pick up well back then, the company decided to get back into original programming for OTT platforms with video consumption going through the roof over the past few years.

“This time around we thought of focusing on Malayalam to begin with, since none of the large OTT platforms were seriously looking at Malayalam. Except for movies, original programming was not just happening. And we all know Malayalam creates possibly the finest content amongst all Indian languages, if our movies are anything to go by,” Studio Mojo founder and CEO Radhakrishnan Ramachandran said.

The company is trying to build a new content ecosystem by bringing together a bunch of fresh talent who are looking for an alternate independent platform. Ramachandran said that they are putting together a content creator network in Malayalam. The platform will support these creators in creating compelling content by providing infrastructure support to them along with mentors to fine tune their creative capabilities. He noted that their first studio is soon coming up in Kochi. While most platforms are primarily focusing on movies, Ramachandran added that they would like to bet on a wider range.

He described Studio Mojo as a tech-first media company. He went on to explain that data and analytics will give deep insights into consumers consumption patterns which will greatly help in the content strategy. Although iStream could not make a significant mark in the OTT landscape, Ramachandran recounted lessons from the past which could be applied to Koode as well.

 “Betting on the right content is critical. With most of the OTT players struggling with their business model, one needs to spend wisely on content. It needs to be a win-win situation for the content producers and the platform,” he said.

As Koode is running on free model, it will look at branded content as an important source of revenue. The marketing team will focus on bringing brands and creators together. Moreover, it will also be launching a pay per view model very soon for some select exclusive programming.